Gratitude Day 12

A busy, but productive, day at work. I am very grateful to have work to focus on right now, as it feels satisfying to help others and to share the workload with colleagues who motivate and encourage me, not to mention make me laugh.

Two beautiful bracelets from one of my personal heroes. Kathy probably has no idea how much I look up to her for her strength, graciousness, and quiet courage, and I will cherish the bracelets she sent to me forever. They always will remind me of someone special who taught me to be brave.

Hot green tea from Starbucks. Red cup controversy be damned; I savored a cup of hot green tea on a windy and chilly fall morning. All was right in the world.

Near 60 degree weather. It doesn’t feel like November, and I am enjoying the extended warmer temperatures before Old Man Winter arrives.

Hugs, kisses, and cuddles from my two daughters. It still melts my heart when they unabashedly show their affection for me and that they still love cuddling with me as much as I do. I hope that they never outgrow it.

An assortment of cards. Today’s mail included more beautiful cards from various friends and family members, and each one brought a smile to my face and empowered me to fight the good fight.

Music. A single song can unearth countless memories, thoughts, and feelings, and music never fails to add something positive to any given moment.

Conversations that can make me laugh, cry, and think. It’s a gift to be able to say anything, everything, and nothing at all, and I treasure that gift immensely. There are no adequate words to convey how much such conversations with my person mean to me, so, I will simply say thank you so much.

Ongoing help from my mom. My mom picked up my daughters from their respective schools and took my youngest daughter to basketball practice this afternoon, and is always willing to go the extra mile, literally and figuratively, to help all of us. She has been a great parent, and now, she shines even brighter as a grandparent.

An oversized fluffy blanket. Nothing beats the chill of our home like the coveted oversized, fluffy, white blanket that I am wrapped up in at the moment. It’s simple, but heavenly.

A quiet house. Normally, especially when my daughters are present, our home is filled with lots of chatter, music, and laughter. Before my daughters woke up, I took in the peace and quiet of our home and breathed it in like precious oxygen, and I was thankful for the sense of calmness it brought to me.

Hope. While the fear and uncertainty brought on by the cancer diagnosis remains, I noticed that my hope and faith continue to grow stronger and drown out the negative thoughts and feelings more and more. It is that hope of better health and better days that urge me on, so, here I go.